Light & Fluffy Zeppole – Recipe

Zeppole (zeppola in the singular) are delicious Italian pastries! They are most often eaten on March 19 for the Feast of Saint Joseph which is also Father’s Day Italy! They are eaten all over Italy especially in  Rome, Lazio, and Salerno! This recipe makes for amazing zeppole!

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3 eggs
• 1 oz butter
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup of water
• 5 oz all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 oz sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk lemon zest

For cooking and garnish:

• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Frying oil, to taste
• Confectioners sugar, to taste
• Sour cherry in syrup

Directions

1. Get out a large saucepan. Pour water in and add your butter and salt bringing ingredients to a boil and stirring constantly. Begin adding in the flour gradually while ingredients are still on the stove. Continue to mix until batter is smooth. (You will know it is fully mixed when the batter does not stick to the sides of the pan).
2. Take the pan off the heat and pour batter into a bowl so that it can cool down to room temperature. Once it has cooled, begin adding eggs to the batter. Add them in one at a time and be sure to mix them fully. When you have finished mixing, put the dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. (While it is cooling you can begin making the filling)
3. For filling: Pour the milk into a saucepan and add in the lemon peel. Bring the mix to a boil.
4. Beat in egg yolks one at a time in a bowl with the sugar. Then incorporate the flour, whisking continuously. When the milk begins to boil, remove it from the heat and slowly add the egg, sugar and flour mixture, whisking continuously.
5. Transfer the mixture to the stove over medium heat. Stir continuously. The cream will become quite dense. Transfer the cream to a bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap to let cool. While the cream is cooling begin preparing the fritters.
   To shape the fritters, place the fritter batter in a pastry bag with a star-shaped tip.
6. Cut out 2-in squares of aluminum foil and grease one side with extra virgin olive oil. Form a ring of dough on each foil using your pastry bag. Then, fill a pot with hot oil and place on high heat. Once the oil is very hot, place the fitters in the oil (two at a time). Set the fritters in the hot oil with the foil still under them. The foil will separate once it gets in the hot oil. Once the fritters become golden, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels. Continue these steps with the rest of the batter
7. When the fritters have cooled, fill another pastry bag with pastry cream. Decorate each one with a little cream, powdered sugar, and place a cherry on top!
8. Enjoy!

Sources:

• Main Image: skeeze from Pixabay